What We Do For Family
by Akayla's Pierced Heart
Summary: Very short ficlet I wrote while watching "Spider and the Fly." Gibbs and Brynn have their first real fight. Third in Gibbs/Brynn storyline.Rated mostly for language.


It had finally happened. Brynn and Gibbs finally had their first real fight. It wasn't quite an all out shouting match. But Gibbs knew it was all his fault. He had lied to her. Not really lied, just hadn't told her everything. He knew there wasn't much of a difference. And it was no excuse.

One week prior to the fight…

Gibbs and Brynn had been living together comfortably for two weeks. The weekend with Jack had gone better than Gibbs could have hoped for. But the day after they got back, work took over their lives again. The first punch to the gut happened when Abby came back from Mexico. She knew that Gibbs killed Pedro Hernandez. Seeing that body on Ducky's table had brought back a swirl of memories that Gibbs clearly hadn't dealt with. Gibbs had come home that night to the smell of grilled steak and baked potatoes. As soon as he walked into the kitchen, Brynn saw the look on his face and wrapped her arms around him.

"How bad?" She asked with her face against his chest. It was what she did when he came home even more quiet than usual. She would never ask him what happened. She knew if he wanted to talk, he would. But she always asked how bad it was.

"Pretty bad…" She waited for him to say more.

"What do you need?"

"Just you." He sighed.

"How about some dinner?"

"Yeah, I could eat." He finally let go.

They ate dinner in silence. When they were done, Brynn cleared the table. Gibbs made his escape down to the basement, knowing she wouldn't follow. The saw dust made it hard for her to breath. Brynn watched him go down but said nothing. She had just finished washing the dishes when a knock sounded at the front door. She glanced at the open basement door before going to the front door.

Abby stood there looking for all the world like she had just witnessed a puppy die.

"Hey, Brynn." Brynn immediately moved aside to let her in. "Is Gibbs here?"

"Yeah, he's in the basement. Is everything okay?" Brynn shut the door.

"No." Was all Abby said before making her way downstairs. Brynn stood there for a second. Okay, it was time to find out what was going on. She silently followed Abby, stopping just at the top of the stairs.

Gibbs was working on a rocking chair for the new nursery. When Brynn and Gibbs had sorted through all of their furniture, they donated what they didn't want to keep. The second bedroom was where Gibbs and Brynn always slept before she had moved in. Neither of them wanted that to change, so it became the new master bedroom. The room he had once shared with Sharon had yet to be touched. Kelly's old room was now the nursery. Gibbs had said that he was glad it would be a baby's room again. A new coat of powder-blue paint now covered the walls of the room. Gibbs had insisted that he make all of the baby's furniture himself.

Brynn felt the room spin around her as she listened in on Abby's conversation with Gibbs. She couldn't tell what emotion was stronger: the anxiety because Gibbs might be in trouble for murdering someone, or the satisfaction because Gibbs had gotten his revenge on the monster who took his first wife and daughter. But the anger she felt at Gibbs soon clouded over the other two emotions. As soon as Abby left, Brynn rushed down the stairs.

"You're not going to fight this are you?" She accused. Gibbs whipped around, still holding the piece of wood he had been working on. His eyes went wide when he realized Brynn had heard everything.

"I'm not going to ask Abby to lie for me." His voice came out calm. He turned back to the work table.

"Of course not but…" How was she going to argue this? "I…" He turned and looked at her. "I don't wanna lose you."

"I'm not going anywhere." He put both his hands on her face and kissed her forehead.

And for a while, that had been the end of the conversation. Abby didn't bring it up to Brynn when they saw each other at work. Brynn kept what she knew to herself. Tim and Tony knew something was bothering Brynn, but they chalked it up to pregnancy hormones.

When Lara Macy's body was found, Gibbs came home with that look again. Brynn didn't ask any questions. She just fed him his dinner and let him escape to his basement. When he finally came back upstairs he didn't find Brynn anywhere in the house. As he passed the front door, he heard the familiar creak of the porch swing. He went outside and found Brynn sitting with one leg curled under her.

"Hey." It was the first word he had said to her since kissing her goodbye that morning. She looked up and patted the swing, inviting him to join her. He sat down and slipped one arm around her shoulders. Her head settled on his chest. "Are you gonna talk to me?"

"I didn't figure you wanted to talk." She waited a few seconds. "I heard about Macy. And I know you have a lot going on."

"Doesn't give me an excuse to shut you out."

"No, it doesn't. But I know pushing won't get me anywhere."

"Brynn… I think someone may be after me. And I think they might be trying to get to me by hurting people around me."

"Rule 40."

"Yeah."

"Who is it?"

"I'm not sure yet. This thing with Macy, Col. Bell, Pedro Hernandez, the Reynosa drug cartel… It's all connected but I don't know how yet." He pulled her face up and looked in her eyes. "If I ask you to leave for a while, would you?"

"I think I'd feel safer with you." He closed his eyes for a second. "Can you think of a safer place for me than by your side?" Her tone made it clear that arguing was pointless.

"You have a point. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise."

Then that selfish bastard ran off to Mexico with no explanation. He barely gave Brynn a goodbye before he vanished. It infuriated her when Gibbs' team didn't seem to take it as seriously as she did. But they were used to this from Gibbs. When Vance pulled her aside and told her that he was sending Tony and Ziva to Mexico, Brynn knew they wouldn't come back without him.

Gibbs knew he'd have to face the music when he saw Brynn. After sending Ziva and Tony straight back to the Navy yard, Gibbs went home for a well needed shower. He figured Brynn would attack Tony for information. Of course, Tony would cave and tell her he had gone home. He came out of the shower and heard the front door slam. 'Here comes the fight.' He thought to himself. He groaned and went into the bedroom to find some clothes. He kept glancing behind him, expecting Brynn to come charging into the room and slap him. But she never did. He took the stairs slowly and found Brynn sitting at the kitchen table. Her arms were crossed and she was glaring. He quickly turned his back on her and picked up his phone. He needed to call his dad and warn him before he started the fight that he knew was coming. When he hung up, Brynn was still sitting quietly.

"I'm in trouble." He threw up his hands when her silence finally got to him.

"You're damn right you're in trouble!" She came flying out of the chair. "What the hell is going on? I don't usually pry. I know if there's something I need to know, you'll tell me. But damn it! I need to know, NOW!" She slammed her hand against the table so hard it hurt. Gibbs stepped towards her when she cringed and balled her hand in a fist. "No!" She started shouting again, making him stop. "You don't get to come over here until I know everything!"

"I can't tell you! It would only put you in danger!"

"Don't you _dare_ do that to me! Don't you dare shut me out to protect me! And don't you dare try to send me away either!"

"I have to! You need to get away from me. Brynn, there are people trying to kill me, but they are gonna go through everyone I love first."

"I'm not leaving."

"Brynn, just this once-"

"I'm. Not. Leaving." He had heard her use that resolute tone. But never with him.

"Please… I won't survive it if you get hurt. Brynn, I couldn't take that, not again." He could feel his resolve breaking.

"If you ask me to leave one more time… I won't come back."

"Maybe that's for the best."

"Maybe it is…" As soon as Gibbs saw the look on her face, he regretted what he said. But then he just stood there like a dumbass when she moved past him. He continued to stand there and stare until he heard the front door slam.

"What have I done?"

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

The morning of Ziva's citizenship ceremony Gibbs looked in his bathroom mirror and hated himself. He knew Brynn would be there. Brynn and Ziva had become good friends and Brynn was just as excited as anyone about today. He hadn't see or spoken to Brynn since she stormed out of the house. When he went back to the Navy yard, he had expected to find her there. But no one had seen her. That night when the team had finally convinced him to go home and get some sleep, he found that Brynn had come back and taken at least one suitcase of clothes and her laptop.

Just as he was about to leave, Allison Hart showed up at the house. Gibbs wanted to throw her out on her ass. But he invited her in and got a surprise when she offered to help him.

He went upstairs to the unused room. Sitting down, he let the memories of Shannon and Mike Franks roll before his eyes. Then he thought about Brynn. She had been the only thing keeping him going these last few weeks. The happiness that swelled inside him every time he looked at her was enough to stop his breath at times. He thought he could go forever without letting the scars on his past touch her. And he thought for sure that sending her away was the right thing to do. But now…

He clicked the pen in his hand and wrote… **Rule 51 Sometimes - You're Wrong.**

He was going to make this right.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs rushed into the bullpen where his team sat.

"Boss, is your dad okay?" Tony asked jumping out of his chair.

"Yeah. He's fine. He's at my house."

"We haven't been able to track Reynosa since she left Stillwater." McGee said hanging up his phone.

"Do any of you know where Brynn is?" Gibbs' tone brought everything to a standstill.

"I have not seen her since my citizenship ceremony. Why is she not with you?" McGee and Tony exchanged a look.

"We had a… Fight. She walked out. She won't take my calls. It's been two days. I'm worried. She should have told someone where she was going."

"She did, boss." McGee cracked first. Tony shot him a glare. Then Gibbs' eyes were staring him down.

"Where is she?"

"There's a cabin that her grandfather owned… It's an hour outside of the city." McGee shifted under Gibbs' stare. "She told us she might head up there for a few days. Said she needed to think."

"Directions?"

"I can draw you a map. It's kinda in the middle of nowhere." McGee whipped out a pen and paper.

Less than hour later (thanks to his driving) Gibbs found the tiny cabin. It was isolated and surrounded by forest on three sides. The whole way to the front door he kept whipping his head around for any sign of movement in the trees. He could see an empty dock that led out into the lake behind the cabin. Brynn's tiny red Grand Am was parked off to the side. Everything seemed peaceful. Too peaceful. He knocked on the door and was actually surprised when it opened right up. Brynn stood there in cut off shorts and a tee-shirt. Her bare feet quickly moved to give him access into the tiny front room. Gibbs cringed inwardly when he saw she wasn't even armed.

"You just let me in? I could have been anyone." He lectured as she shut and bolted the door.

"I knew it was you." She defended herself quietly. His eyes narrowed. She rolled her eyes and pointed behind him. When he turned, he saw a simple wooden desk with her gun and laptop sitting on it. The monitor showed four separate windows. He looked closer and realized it was a video feed showing each side of the cabin. The dark blue Dodge Charger he drove could clearly be seen parked just out front. He turned back to her, his face more relaxed. "I made a few additions to security when I got here."

"Smart of you." Now her eyes narrowed. Yes, she was still angry. He'd have to finesse her if he hoped to get her to leave with him.

"What are you doing here?" She plopped down on the sofa. He could see by the book laying open on the arm of the sofa that he had interrupted her reading. He moved to sit beside her.

"I was wrong." He muttered, looking right into her eyes.

"You were what?"

"I was wrong." He repeated more clearly. She scooted closer.

"You were what?" He cocked his head and looked at her.

"I know you heard me."

"Yeah, but do you know just _how_ wrong you were?" She crossed her arms.

"Incredibly so." He looked down at his hands. "I need you with me." He rubbed his palms together. She could see this was hard for him. "I need you to be where I know I can watch out for you." He finally looked back up. "My dad was almost killed. He's staying with me now. I want you with me too. I need to keep you safe."

"Safe _and_ in the loop?" He was still on thin ice as far as she was concerned.

"Completely." He pursed his lips together. "Please…" Her eyebrows came up. He knew the "please" would do it. But he hadn't quite won yet. "If I can find you here, they can too. If you're with me… Didn't you say the safest place for you was by my side?"

"I did say that. But if I remember correctly, you disagreed."

"And I was wrong." He shrugged. "It's even a rule now."

"Never disagree with the girlfriend?"

"No. Sometimes, you're wrong."

"That covers a lot."

"Yeah." He stood up. "Are you coming with me? Or do I need to move in here. Either way, I'm not letting you out of my sight until this is over."

"What about when it is over?"

"Not even then."

"Okay. I guess you won this one." She stood up but didn't move towards him.

"Actually I think _you _won this one." He closed the space between them. "I was the one who admitted defeat first." She didn't pull away when he bent his head to kiss her. The first touch after two days made it feel like he had been away from her for weeks. He groaned and quickly trapped her in his arms. She pushed against his lips in answer to the gentle kiss. Time passed. Neither one knew how much. When they came apart Brynn's eyes had finally softened to a gaze instead of a glare. Gibbs smiled down at her. "I should let you win more often."

"You just learn this now?"

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

Four Months Later…

Brynn came in the front door to find a man who she had only seen in pictures holding a bag. Not far from him, Gibbs stood holding his gun. Jack was right behind him. All three men turned to stare at her.

"What did I miss?" She asked, unconsciously laying both her hands on her swollen belly.

"Brynn, meet Mike Franks." Gibbs said, smiling.

"Well, hello there pretty lady." Mike let his bag drop and shook Brynn's hand. Gibbs moved forward and kissed Brynn's cheek.

"How'd it go at the hospital today?" Gibbs asked. Jack was already going back into the living room. Mike moved towards the door to the basement. He stopped just short of going down the stairs to watch the exchange between Gibbs and his woman.

"A boy." She beamed up at him.

"A son, we're having a son…" Suddenly all of his fears about Reynosa and her brother melted away.

"I'm pretty sure the OBGYN was terrified though. I don't think he's ever done a sonogram on a woman with two armed guards." Gibbs chuckled. "Why do I even need two guards?"

"One for you, one for the baby." Gibbs put his hands on her belly and smiled.

"It's so good to know that you have priorities." She suddenly started blinking rapidly and her head bobbed back and forth. Gibbs instantly grabbed her and led her to a chair.

"Another dizzy spell?" He asked. His face filled with worry.

"I'm okay." Her head was still spinning.

"Come on, I'm gonna put you in bed." She didn't argue.

When Gibbs went back downstairs, he knew Mike had gone down to the basement. Mike was going to give him a hard time about Brynn. Mike was a firm believer that you should never let a woman anywhere near danger. Brynn had been right when she said the safest place for her was at Gibbs' side. He didn't trust anyone else with her. And he didn't want to risk her disappearing again. But when Mike made the comment about "doing what you have to for family," Gibbs knew that he understood.

NCISNCISNCISNCISNCISNCIS

"Don't look forward to the day you stop suffering. When you do, you'll know you're dead." The familiar female voice rang in Gibbs' ear.

"Got more Tennessee Williams for me, Poloma?" He retorted back into the phone.

"You remember I am a fan of his work. I hope you are enjoying mine." When she clicked off, Gibbs quickly called McGee for a trace. As soon as McGee told him where she was, he drove off.

Brynn came rushing down the stairs. When she saw Gibbs glaring and holding his gun she stopped halfway down.

"She was here? Why didn't she finish the job?" Jack was asking. Gibbs lowered his gun but didn't take his eyes off Brynn.

"Because she's not done yet." Gibbs growled.

Once they were alone Gibbs wrapped his arms around Brynn.

"I'm gonna end this." Her eyes widened when she looked at him. She wanted to protest. "I want you back at NCIS with Duck and Abby. I have a plan."

"Okay, you win. I'll do what you want."

NCISNCISNCIS

Gibbs took the time to sneak in a private moment with Brynn before he called DiNozzo to put the plan in action. He had driven her back to the Navy yard and personally walked her to the cyber crimes office. Brynn sat at her usual desk and Gibbs pulled a chair so he could sit just behind her. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him.

"Have you thought about names?" Talking about the baby always seemed to soothe Brynn, no matter the situation.

"I've been playing with a few. But I'd like to name him after family."

"How about Christopher, after your grandpa?"

"I was leaning towards that. I didn't know if you'd like it."

"I like it."

"How about Christopher Jackson?"

"Christopher Jackson Gibbs." Gibbs tested the name. "That shouldn't embarrass him too much." He chuckled against her cheek.

"I like it too." Gibbs kissed her cheek and let both hands rest on her stomach. "When do you need to go?"

"I have a few minutes." She swiveled around to face him.

"Kiss me until you leave."

"I'm coming back, Brynn." He cupped her cheeks in his hands.

"Promise?"

"I promise." He leaned towards her. "But I'll still kiss you." And for the next few minutes all that could be heard were the light pecks of their connecting lips.

Two hours later Brynn's cell phone rang.

"Hello?" Ducky and Abby both looked at her. They had been sitting in Autopsy waiting for news.

"We got em." Gibbs' voice sounded tired.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Yeah." Brynn nodded letting Abby and Ducky know Gibbs' answer. "I'm on my way to get you. When we get home, you and I are gonna sleep for two days."

"Deal."

"I love you Brynn."

"Love you, Jethro."


End file.
